“the goal for this week is simple really: I want to know what you stand for.” - Elia Zenghelis

The class, 48 students from 3rd year to graduate level, researched several projects Elia believed illustrate the impact of architecture. For the end production, we were tasked with creating an image where the "rulers and the ruled confront each other." An image that should "represent our own position - what we think about art, architecture, the political, and the social."

Our team's research allowed us to conclude that the public has an unusual amount of control over Bank of England (our assigned paradigm project). The Bank was fundraised for by bakers and aristocrats alike, protected through three wars, expanded maintain 3.5 acres, renovated twice and nearly completely demolished (with exception to a few a Sir John Soane's interiors) and re-built, and somehow managed to go untouched during WWII. The Bank of England appeared to be one of the greatest exchanges between the "public servant" and, in turn, the "serving public" in the history of most financial institutions. We were keen on highlighting this relationship with the institution, and a bank's ability to help give the English identity through the circulation of wealth and the definition of value. However, we didn't believe the physical building itself represented the public demand for this institution to continue to survive since it's 17th century foundation. Rather, a drawing produced from the perspective of the building best depicted the utilization of the building by the British known as the Bond Panorama (see Part I below).

The big takeaway: Sometimes, shock is the only way to see through conceptualization and realize some images can be powerful without oral or written defense. In the case of my team, Elia’s selection of our final image came as a shock. Our image is not collaged, it hardly deals with any famous imitations or appropriated material from famous works, and it surely does not use any sort of architectural material to help form an interior within the image (all factors for emblematic image construction outlined by Elia). Our image is “the ultimate abstraction” of the Bond Panorama, a drawing inspired by the bank. Similarly, how one chooses which resources to inspire production, and even further how we choose which pieces of those resources to pull into our narrative is equally as subjective as the final image itself. The basis of an image isn’t always the argument, sometimes it can simply be the impact it has on the viewer. In our case, according to Elia, “less is more even when less can sometimes be less."

Studying the Bank of England, assigned by Elia as our 'paradigm' project, our team was quick to identify the constant exchange between the 'public servants' the bank employs and the 'serving public' the bank receives willed labor from. Over history, London's citizens have volunteered to fund raise for the creation of, protect, build, demolish the bank. Their dedication to the institution, but not necessarily the physical building itself was a bit unusual for our team to find in our research.

Demolished or moved on two occasions, our team wonders if Herbert Baker's structure (the one visible today) would have been replicated had WWII not left the building untouched. In Part II of the Master Class, we've been charged with composing an 'emblematic image' that depicts our team's stance on Architecture through the transformation of the Bank of England. The image created doesn't have to use the physical bank itself, it can also be composed from a image inspired by the bank. We've chosen to use the Bond Panorama, an 360 degree panorama composed by ARP Arthur Bond while he stood watch on top of the bank during WWII. This was the most accurate depiction of the London skyline of the time, and is what we believe to be a direct representation of public contribution back to an institution working to serve the public. See our progress here:

Part II: Progress

I could have named this post "Summer: 2013," or "A Day in the Life of Jill Maltby: Summer Intern," or maybe even "The Internship: Part I" -- however, this summer, I just grooved thanks to ASK Studio. Where might my groove status have taken me, you wonder? In just about every piece of the architecture industry an intern could hope to test run. Over 600 hours later, I've been able to document time in: - construction documentation for projects in Des Moines, Ames, Urbandale, and Spirit Lake - competition graphics for eventual award submittals to three major organizations - construction phase observation on three different sites- evaluation and observation of conditions within affordable housing projects- research on current and projected trends in affordable housing and net-zero options - observation of architectural photography shoots - touring famous works by Herzog & de Meuron otherwise unable to be toured- studio travel to San Francisco - business operations with open houses of ASK Studio - taking a piece of the Walker Johnston Shelter House through schematic design, design development, and construction documentation,Fortunately, I was required to document EVERY DAY of this summer. Check out what life as a ASK Studio intern looks like: CLICK HERE

Besides the countless new artists I'm excited about, I also became a fan of "cupcake culture" with surprise trips to Scratch or Crème. However, with the recent completion of the AIA Iowa Convention, I am pleased to report that ASK Studio received the Excellence in Design award for the Walker Johnston Park Shelter in Urbandale, IA. I primarily worked on signage and competition graphics for the FEMA-rated shelter. As Rob Whitehead so eloquently stated, "working on projects with recognition like that really make you think, I CAN do this." Indeed.

Among those receiving recognition are Gary Clark Jr. and ECM records. Clark Jr. landed a spot among the top blues artists for 2012, and ECM received recognition for a spot in the top record label category. I'm glad to see both receive valid recognition as Gary Clark Jr. reintroduces blues to new generations, and ECM proves that simple graphics can still be compelling in a world where sensory overload seems familiar.

While I should probably be discouraged from any further productivity, the above site is easily one I find myself continuously navigating while putting together a portfolio. We need to let one another into our own sketch books more often.

The analysis associated behind why we value the objects we do is fully illustrated in this SOM Foundation project. What resonates as truly amazing, is the idea that upon death, what we value can be placed back into the circulation cycle that society upholds. Processions of the deceased travel through a process for their eventual re-introduction. Aside from incredible rendering and visual representation, the thought behind the project is incredible. Something only truly understood if you take a look at the founders words .

We looked to Visual Complexity to inspire some graphic representation involving landscape for our recent studio project. Little did we know a taxi circulation study and mapping would resonate as the main form of inspiration.